Contribution of stack gases and solid process wastes to the organic pollutant output of thermal waste treatment plants

Within the scope of fundamental investigations as well as individual resear ch projects (W. Knorr, B. Hentschel, C. Marb, S. Schadel, M. Swerev, O. Vie rle, J.-P. Lay, 1999. Ruckstande aus der Mullverbrennung - Chancen fur eine stoffliche Verwertung von Aschen und Schlacken. Initiativen zum Umweltschu tz, 13 ed., Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt, Erich Schmidt, Berlin), the Bav arian State Office for Environmental Protection performs emission measureme nts at thermal waste treatment plants to optimize operation, to accompany a nd support development of new technologies, and to study the effect of this kind of waste treatment technology on the environment. Based on recent studies (October 1995-July 1999) at six municipal solid was te incinerators (MSWI) in Bavaria all emission streams (solid and gas) are characterized with respect to organic pollutant contents and compared to th e emissions of waste pyrolysis. The significant ranges of pollutant concent ration as well as the specific congener patterns observed are similar for a ll MSWI, regardless of differences in technical design and waste input, but differ markedly from those of the pyrolysis products. The overall approach, including the sampling of all output streams and the determination of mass streams and volume flow rates, allows the calculation of the total output of different organic pollutants for waste incineration plants and to estimate the relative contribution of each of the emission s treams to the total pollutant load. Removal efficiencies are also calculate d for the air pollution control (APC) systems of the different MSWI plants. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.